My Phoenix
by captainofswans
Summary: Emma and Charming have a little chat about Emma's affections for a certain pirate captain.


_A/N: I don't know where these Daddy!Charming feels came from, but I had to jot them down. Sorry this one is so short—I just had an idea of how I want Charming to approach the whole Killian situation._

_Enjoy!_

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><p>David wasn't even going to pretend that he didn't see the way that damn pirate was looking at his daughter-and more importantly, the way she looked at him.<p>

They hadn't really said that they were dating at all, or that they'd thought about it, but ever since the night they came back from traveling back in time, they acted differently around each other.

David wasn't sure if he liked it.

"Emma?" David asked, knocking before walking into her new, fresh-smelling loft.

There were still boxes everywhere, strewn across the new space. This was the one Henry picked out, the one David knew Henry saw his mother happy in.

David also knew exactly why it was practically on the water.

"Yeah?" Emma asked, rising from behind some boxes by the beautiful bay window.

"Oh, hey." He smiled, "Can we, um, talk?"

Emma stood up straighter as he walked over, raising a brow at him.

"Um, sure." Emma replied, taking a few steps towards him and setting her hands on her hips, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to ask you about something-er, someone."

By the look on her face, she knew where this was going.

"David-"

"Emma, just listen for a second." David spoke softly, causing her to stop mid-sentence.

"Fine." She replied, crossing her arms over her chest this time and taking a deep breath.

"I wanted to ask about Hook-Killian." David corrected, causing Emma to make the face David knew she'd make-the one where she tilted her head away from him with a slightly raised lip. Yep, that was the one.

"What's going on with you two?"

"I don't know," Emma shrugged, "We're just friends."

"Not the way you two look at each other. Something happened when you two went back to stop Zelena's spell." David replied.

"No, we're the same-"

"Emma, stop lying to yourself, please." David spoke softly, setting his hand on her arm, "Everyone in the town sees the way you two talk to each other and look at each other. They aren't just friendly looks, Emma."

Emma took a deep breath before turning back to face David.

"I've never had someone put me first, okay?" Emma snapped, "Killian... It's like nothing matters with me. But, I don't know what to do because it always starts like this, then I get left in the dark, and I'm all alone again."

She stopped and tugged away, letting his hand drop as she walked towards the bathroom.

"Emma!" David called after her, gently grabbing her arm as she wiped at her eyes.

"I'm scared, okay? I'm scared of whatever these stupid feelings are for him!" Emma snapped again, "I don't want to get hurt, and I don't want people to keep asking me what's going on between us!"

"Emma, I didn't mean to make you upset, okay? I just... I want to make sure you're happy."

"I'm just fine." Emma replied, her eyes boring through his.

"For one moment, can I please ask you a question without you attacking me?" David asked. Emma didn't answer, instead tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Do you like him?"

"I'm not five. I don't have crushes." Emma deadpanned.

"That wasn't what I was asking." David replied.

Emma simply rolled her eyes again before meeting his.

"Maybe? I don't know." Emma spoke softly, "He puts me and Henry first. That's what matters to me."

David couldn't help but smile at the possibility that his daughter could be very, very happy.

"What?" Emma asked as he grinned.

"Nothing. I just want to see you happy, Emma, and if it's with Killian, I'll try my best not to kill him." David smiled, making her giggle.

"He and I are something like kindred spirits, and it's just weird right now because I don't know what to do, or where to go from here. But, I feel like he knows me better than most people do. And, that's important to me."

"So, if he asked you out..."

He earned a whack to the arm for that one, making him laugh.

"I don't know what I'd say."

"Emma, if you don't take anything else from this conversation, take this," David said, taking her shoulders in his hands and gently squeezing them, "At least consider it."

"Oh, so no I have your permission?" She smiled.

"Sadly, yes." David smiled in return, his heart jumping in his chest when she hugged him tight. He held her head to his chest, like he'd always done, thinking that she was definitely no longer his baby girl.

Emma was his phoenix, rising from all of the ashes around her, ready to start over yet again.

And, for that, he could never be more proud of her.

(Even if she was dating a pirate captain.)


End file.
